It Turns Out To Be
by Miss Higher Power
Summary: For Rachel, there is absolutely no contest. Her son will always be her first priority.


Rachel meets Brian when she's fresh out of college. She's been temping as a receptionist at a small law firm while she auditions for roles on Broadway. Brian is the firm's in-house investigator.

Brian is everything that Rachel isn't: fun, spontaneous, adventurous. They seem to complement each other perfectly. Their romance is a bit of whirlwind, and before Rachel knows it, she has a ring on her finger.

They've been married for two years when she gets pregnant. It isn't planned, but Rachel is ecstatic. Brian is excited until the minute the baby cries for the first time.

Suddenly, all of the things that she loved about Brian don't seem like positives. He's rash, impulsive, irresponsible, and apparently has no interest in being a father.

For Rachel, there is absolutely no contest. Her son will always be her first priority.

Rachel files for a divorce when Nate is a year and a half. She'll spend the next four years trying to make it in New York. Broadway never worked out for her, and she can't make ends meet on the salary she makes as a legal assistant (thank god for on the job training). If Brian actually paid the child support he owes, she might have been able to stay in New York. But Brian is unreliable, so Rachel packs up their bags and takes her son home to Lima.

* * *

><p>The minute Puck hears that Rachel is back in Lima, he knows this is God giving him a second chance. He blew it with Rachel when they were younger, and he's always said that if he ever got a second chance, he would take it.<p>

And he's got his life together now. He's come to terms with the whole situation with Quinn and Beth. He and Quinn get a picture and an update every year, and they go for a drink and talk about their baby girl. Quinn and Finn are married and have two kids, but Finn gets that they need one night a year to love their daughter together.

Puck went to OSU and got a degree in education. He was really hoping to teach music to elementary school kids anywhere but Lima, but life had other plans. His mom had a minor heart attack, and he decided he needed to be around for her and Sarah, just in case. All of that happened at the same time that Mr. Schue decided to get his ass out of Lima. Schue's crazy ex-wife set his house on fire after she found out that he and Coach Bieste were getting married.

So he teaches at McKinley. Emma Howell (she dropped the Pillsbury) is the principal now, and she offered him Schue's old job. Schue did a kick-ass job growing the music program, so he only teaches music: band, choir, music appreciation, musical composition. It's not little kids, like he wanted, but it's a job.

And he thinks being a music teacher has got to score points with Rachel.

* * *

><p>Rachel really doesn't want to say yes when Quinn invites her to a barbeque at their place on Friday night, but Quinn has been so nice to her since she returned to town that she just can't say no. Plus, Nate gets along so well with Jenny and Jeremy, and she really wants to encourage the friendships he's making.<p>

She's sitting on the Hudson's back deck, an iced tea in her hand, with Quinn, Carol and Quinn's friend, Carla, when Noah arrives.

This is the first time Rachel has seen Noah since two Saturdays ago, when he approached her at temple to ask her out to dinner. She had been about to politely decline when Nate had shown up with a latke in one hand and a red juice stain on the front of his brand new white shirt. Rachel had whisked her son off to the bathroom, hoping to get the stain out before it set. When she had returned to the foyer, Noah was gone.

Rachel can't blame him really. Men aren't exactly beating down the door to date a divorced woman with a five-year-old. It just would have been nice to have another friend in town. Quinn and Finn have been wonderful, and a couple of the girls at work are very nice, but she had always gotten along well with Noah. To be honest, she's missed him since they fell out of touch in college.

* * *

><p>"Uncle Noah!"<p>

The minute he rounds the side of the house, Jenny is in his arms and the other kids are gathering around him. He loves being the fun "uncle". He gets to act like a giant kid and nobody can say a damn word because he's taking care of the kids.

He gets a game of tag going and is just taking a breather, when he notices Rachel's kid on the sidelines. The kid looks a bit shy, but he figures it must be intimidating to be the new kid.

Puck had wanted to hang around on Saturday, but Sarah had needed a ride to a friend's house to work on some school project and he'd had to leave before Rachel came back. Puck knows that if he wants a chance with Rachel, he needs to get to know this kid. Rachel's not the kind of mom who'll go out with a guy her kid doesn't like. Which kinda makes it sound like he only wants to get to know the boy to get in good with his mom, which isn't true. He remembers what it was like growing up without a dad, and from what Puck's heard through the grapevine, this boy's dad is as big a jackass as Puck's own father.

"'Sup, bud?" Puck asks, sitting down on the grass next to the boy.

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." The boy is eyeing him suspiciously.

"Good advice." He offers the kid his hand. "I'm Noah. You saw me at temple on Saturday. I'm a friend of your mom's "

"I'm Nate." Nate places his hand in Puck's.

* * *

><p>Rachel is helping Quinn clean up in the kitchen when she hears Nate come inside.<p>

"Mom!" She turns from the dishwasher, to find her son in front of her, with Noah holding his hand. "Noah's going to a baseball game tomorrow! He said I can go if it's okay with you."

She looks stupidly from Nate to Noah and back again. Nate looks so excited, more excited than he's been about anything since they moved here. She hates that she has to say no.

"I'm sorry, baby. I don't have a car tomorrow. Papa and Grandpa are going to be away tomorrow." Rachel can see the smile slipping off his face as she kneels in front of him. His hand slips out of Noah's and he rubs his eye, which is a sure sign he's about to start crying.

"No worries. I'll pick him up." Noah says from above her. She looks up at him and squints before standing up.

"Well, I suppose if you can pick us up, we could go." She tells him.

"Mom!" Nate says exasperatedly, "It's boys only! No girls. Right?" He looks to Noah, who nods.

"Sorry, Mom." Noah smirks at her.

"Nate, why don't you go play until it's time to go?" She hands him a carrot stick before he runs out the door, then turns back to Noah. "What are you up to?"

"What?" He looks mildly offended.

"The other day you disappeared the minute Nate showed up. And today you're offering to take him to baseball games? I'm not going to sleep with you just because you're nice to my son." She tells him angrily.

"Okay, first of all, you took Nate to the bathroom and I had to drop Sarah off at a friend's. Secondly, I'm not just being nice to him because you're his mom. He's a pretty awesome kid who's going through a rough patch." He notices Rachel's face fall.

"I'm sorry. I'm just...I'm just trying to protect him."

"Look, you look like you could use a break. Let me take him to the ballgame tomorrow and then I'll make you guys dinner. I promise I won't even put the moves on you."

Rachel giggles. "You're awful."

"'S'all part of my charm."

* * *

><p>"PJs." Rachel tells Nate as the movie they're watching ends.<p>

"'Kay." He nods sleepily, sliding off the couch. Rachel is sitting on the couch, and Noah is sitting in the armchair.

"Say goodnight to Noah."

"G'night." Nate climbs into Noah's lap and gives him a hug and a kiss. "Thanks for taking me to the baseball. It was the best day."

"You're welcome. We'll go again sometime." Noah says, giving Nate a quick hug before the boy heads for the stairs.

"Don't forget to brush your teeth, and I'll come tuck you in when you're done."

"I should get going." Noah says getting up.

"Noah." He turns back to Rachel. "Thank you for taking him out today. He really had a good time."

"I know. It was the best day." He tells her, echoing her son's earlier words laughingly.

* * *

><p>Puck calls Rachel a week later to ask her over for dinner.<p>

"I thought you weren't going to put the moves on me." She says, giggling.

"Yeah, that night."

"Oh."

"So? Dinner. You and Nate, my place, Saturday, 5:00."

"I'll have to check my calendar."

"Geez, Rach. I gotta beg?"

"No. We'll be there."

* * *

><p>They don't really define things, but they're basically a couple.<p>

When Nate's sixth birthday rolls around, they've been together for just over five months. He makes a wish and blows out the candles on his cake. Noah tells him not to tell anybody his wish or it won't come true. Nate decides he's never telling anyone ever because he wants his wish so bad.

* * *

><p>Christmas is four months after Nate's birthday. Brian's parents were so lovely to her after she divorced their son that she never wanted to offend them, so she and Nate have always celebrated Christmas.<p>

One of Nate's favourite things is going to visit Santa, which is how Rachel and Puck find themselves in line to visit Santa on Christmas Eve.

"We're such bad Jews." She whispers to him as a lady they know from temple glares at them as she crosses the mall.

"Taking our kid to see Santa. Good thing we don't be believe in hell." The minute the words are out of his mouth he knows he's stuck his foot in it. He's saved from the lecture he knows Rachel is about to give by the fact that it's Nate's turn with Santa.

* * *

><p>Nate knows that Noah told him not to tell anybody his wish, but Nate thinks that it's probably okay to tell Santa. If he doesn't, how is Santa going to know that he wants Noah to be his dad.<p>

* * *

><p>She doesn't get a moment alone with Noah until late that night. Rachel has just finished putting Nate to bed and saying good night to her dads, when she finds Noah in the kitchen finishing doing food prep for Christmas Day.<p>

"Are we going to talk about what happened today?" Rachel asks as she sits herself at her dads' kitchen table.

Puck tenses. He knew it was coming; he just wishes he'd never opened his stupid mouth.

"Look, I know I crossed a line today." He says without turning around, continuing with his work. "I just...It kills me that anyone can look at his perfect, little face and not love him." He stops himself from saying _"like I do." _as he puts the food in the fridge and starts cleaning up.

"Do you remember that day, a few weeks ago? Coach Sylvester had been giving you a hard time. You came over, and the minute I saw you, I knew you'd had a terrible day. Nate came in here and didn't even give you a second to breathe, wanting you to play with him. I listened to you playing with him like it was the best part of your day." Rachel presses a finger under each eye to keep the tears from falling.

"Hey, don't cry!" He says, kneeling in front of Rachel's chair. "It really was the best part of my day."

"I know it was." She says, laughing through her tears. "And he should have that. He should be the best part of his dad's day."

"Well, I agree, but his dad's a douche. No offense."

"None taken. We're divorced for a reason."

"Good. We got that sorted, let's go to bed." Puck goes to stand, but Rachel holds onto his hand.

"No! You don't understand." Off his confused look, Rachel launches into an explanation. "It's been nine months. You've known him for nine months. In that time, I have seen you take him to baseball games, help him with his homework, throw a football around in the backyard, play with him. You helped plan his birthday party, when his biological father couldn't even be bothered to send him a card. You've basically known Nate the same length of time that Brian was interested in him. You love him so much it makes me cry. You're his dad in all the ways that count."

He can't explain it, but listening to this amazing girl talk about this amazing kid that he loves, telling him that he's his dad, being able to see what that other girl never could, he thinks he loves them both a little bit more than he did this morning.

"And maybe it's too soon, but I think we should be a family." She tells him.

Rachel thinks her heart stops when he stands up and leaves the room. She's struggling to breathe when he comes back in with a present from under the tree. He hands it to her without a word and kneels back down in front of her.

"Open it." Puck tells her. She looks at him with curiosity as she tries to regulate her breathing.

Rachel opens the gold wrapped box and finds a small velvet box nestled in the tissue paper inside. Puck can see the shock on her face when she looks back at him.

"I think you say the word and we'll be a family."

She opens the box to find what she can only describe as the perfect ring.

"We...we have to put this back." She stammers.

"What?"

"Nate's counted every present under that tree, and if this isn't there first thing in the morning, he'll know we cheated."

"Okay...but, you'll...?" Puck asks uncertainly.

"Yes! Yes, of course, I'll marry you." Rachel whispers, peppering his face with kisses.

* * *

><p>Puck and Rachel's dad, Chris, have just finished putting the turkey in the oven, when Puck heads upstairs to get dressed and see what Nate is up to. Nate was sent upstairs to get dressed after they finished with breakfast and stockings, which was over 45 minutes ago. Puck figures he's just playing with one of his new toys.<p>

So he's shocked when he pushes open the door to Nate's room to find the boy still in his pajamas, sitting on his bed crying.

"Hey, buddy! What's the matter?" Puck asks, moving to sit next to Nate on the bed.

"S...San...Santa didn't br...bring me what I asked for." Nate hiccups, trying to stop crying. Puck has a flashback to junior year of high school and the look on Brittany's face after finding out that Santa wouldn't be bringing her what she wanted. He didn't really get it back then, but now he'll do anything to make sure that his kid believes for as long as possible.

"Christmas isn't over yet." Puck tells him as he rubs his hand down Nate's back. Nate was pretty tight-lipped about his Christmas list, but he and Rachel heard him talk about enough toys that whatever he's so upset about is probably under the tree.

"Oh. I guess." Nate manages to stop crying, but he still doesn't seem very happy.

Puck really hopes they got him what he wants. He does not want this kid to be sad on the day that he asks to be his dad.

* * *

><p>Rachel knows that it's coming, but she's still excited all day.<p>

When she came home to Lima ten months ago, she never dreamed that she'd meet anybody, let alone a man who loved her enough to marry her and loved her son enough to want to be his father. So she was just a little bit excited about having him put that ring on her finger.

She had been watching Nate all day, since Noah had come down and told her about what had happened in the bedroom. Nate seemed a little down, but he had perked up with every present he had opened.

He had just opened the latest video game console that she and Noah had bought for him and was examining it with her dads. Rachel and Noah were sitting together on the couch.

"I think there's one more present under the tree." Noah said from beside her. Rachel could barely contain her smile as Nate ran to read the tag.

"It's for Mom. From Noah." Nate said.

"You wanna grab it and bring it over." Noah asked. Nate carefully took the present from under the tree and took it to the couch, handing it to Noah to give to Rachel. "This present is kind of for you too, so I need to ask you a question. How would you feel if I asked your mom to marry me?"

Nate looks from Noah to his mom and back again several times, before asking slowly, "Did you talk to Santa?"

Noah and Rachel looked at each other before Noah answered carefully. "Why?"

"'Cause I asked Santa for you to marry my mom so you could be my dad."

"That's what you asked Santa for?" Puck can't believe that this kid, his kid, was crying this morning because he wanted Puck to be his dad.

"I thought you didn't wanna be my dad." Puck pulls Nate into his lap.

"Buddy, I don't want to be anything else."

* * *

><p>Later, when Rachel has Noah's ring on her finger and his arm around her, their son sprawled across their laps, she thinks that she might be a terrible Jew, but Christmas is her new favourite holiday.<p> 


End file.
